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It was a very good ambition, but tarnished quickly. As the author Elizabeth Bowen reminds us, nothing stays bright but mornings. A programme for government pledge to end direct provision was hailed as humane and progressive, but the Coalition now concedes abolition cannot be delivered in its lifetime.
The Santa Claus myth is one we’re introduced to in childhood, and perhaps that early exposure is the reason why it coils such deep roots into our imagination. For many of us, Santa Claus is our first hero: generous, kind and with magical powers.
The most powerful word in any language is ‘yes’ but the word ‘no’ is ringing out increasingly – no to housing groups of international-protection applicants in the community. People are on the move worldwide as never before, trying to escape poverty, war and oppression, or simply searching for a better life, but anti-immigrant sentiments are gaining traction.
Like an enzyme that creates a chemical reaction in the human body, something inbred in Irish life begrudges the idea that a fellow countryman or woman might be valued elsewhere. As soon as the news emerged that Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe might be in the running for a high-powered Washington job, the begrudgers were out in force.
What does it say about a country that fights for independence – and as soon as some measure of liberty is achieved, it starts censoring and policing the arts? What does that reveal about the confidence its leaders place in the newly-liberated population?